Practice Test GeeksCHPN - Certified Hospice and Palliative Nurse Practice Test
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General Knowledge Flashcards

7 cards from real CHPN practice questions. Tap to flip, then mark Knew It or Still Learning — missed cards come back until you master them.

Read the first 7 General Knowledge flashcards as text

  1. Which validated tool is most commonly used to assess delirium in hospice and palliative care patients?

    Answer: Confusion Assessment Method (CAM)

    The Confusion Assessment Method (CAM) is the most widely validated and used tool for diagnosing delirium in clinical and palliative care settings.

  2. A hospice patient with advanced cancer has an ECOG Performance Status of 4. This means the patient is:

    Answer: Completely disabled, unable to carry on any self-care, totally confined to bed or chair

    ECOG Performance Status 4 indicates the patient is completely disabled, confined to bed or chair, and unable to perform any self-care.

  3. Palliative sedation to unconsciousness is ethically distinguished from euthanasia primarily because:

    Answer: The intent of palliative sedation is to relieve refractory suffering, not to hasten death

    The ethical distinction rests on intent: palliative sedation aims to relieve intractable suffering while death may be an unintended consequence, whereas euthanasia is the intentional ending of life.

  4. A patient taking long-acting opioids for cancer pain develops breakthrough pain. What is the typical breakthrough dose calculation?

    Answer: 10–15% of the total daily opioid dose every 1–2 hours as needed

    Breakthrough pain doses are typically calculated as 10–15% of the total 24-hour opioid dose, administered every 1–2 hours as needed.

  5. Which finding on a Palliative Performance Scale (PPS) assessment of 20% most accurately predicts the patient's status?

    Answer: Patient is totally bedbound, unable to do any self-care, intake is minimal

    A PPS of 20% indicates total bedbound status, complete inability to perform self-care, and minimal to mouth-care-only oral intake, signifying very advanced illness.

  6. A hospice nurse is providing anticipatory grief support to a family. Which action is most appropriate?

    Answer: Providing information about the signs of dying and what to expect so they can prepare

    Anticipatory grief support includes educating the family about expected changes, signs of dying, and what to expect, helping them prepare emotionally and practically.

  7. Which of the following is an absolute contraindication to the use of meperidine (Demerol) for pain management in hospice patients?

    Answer: Renal impairment due to accumulation of the toxic metabolite normeperidine

    Meperidine is contraindicated in patients with renal impairment because its metabolite normeperidine accumulates and causes CNS toxicity including seizures.